Venezuela said on Monday (27) that it planned to attack the United States Navy destroyer USS Gravely, anchored in Trinidad and Tobago. According to the Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello, four people were arrested. Caracas claims that the operation aimed to incriminate the government of Nicolás Maduro and justify military action by Washington.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil said he had notified the government of Trinidad and Tobago about the alleged “false flag” plan. “I clearly informed the government of Trinidad and Tobago about the false flag operation directed by the CIA: attacking a US military ship stationed on the island and blaming Venezuela,” said Gil, quoted by O Globo.
The episode takes place amid an escalation of tension between Caracas and Washington. Last month, US President Donald Trump confirmed that he had authorized secret CIA operations in South America and reiterated plans to expand military actions against groups linked to drug trafficking in the region. The campaign, which has already included the sinking of vessels in the Caribbean and the Pacific, has resulted in 43 deaths, according to the American government.
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The USS Gravely, equipped with Tomahawk missiles, was recently sent to Trinidad and Tobago, a country located less than 10 kilometers from the Venezuelan coast, along with the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford. The movement represents the largest American military presence in the area since the invasion of Panama in 1989.
Trinidadian Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar rejected Caracas’ accusations and told the agency AFP that will not accept “blackmail”. “Our future does not depend on Venezuela and never has,” said the leader, who holds joint exercises with American forces.
Trinidad and Tobago stated that the presence of the US ship aims to “strengthen the fight against transnational crime and build resilience through capacity building and security cooperation.” The local government highlighted that it “values the relationship with the Venezuelan people, given the shared history between the two countries”.
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(with AFP)
